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Does nasal high flow (NHF) increase the risk of healthcare worker (HCW) infections?
This FAQ is taken from Flow Matters COVID-19 edition, updated Feb. 2022. Read the complete edition here.
Clinical observations, investigative research, and expert opinions highlight that NHF therapy is not considered to represent an increased risk of HCW infection via contact, droplet, or airborne transmission routes.
Wilson et al. 2021 compared the effect of respiratory activity, noninvasive respiratory support, and facemasks on aerosol generation.
Results from the study are illustrated in the chart below.
Notably, cough is now considered a relatively high-risk respiratory activity that puts all forms of respiratory therapy into perspective.
Comparison of total particle count for respiratory activities*
*Data collated from Wilson et al. 2021.1
† FEV: Forced expiratory volume maneuvers. Used as proxies for symptomatic labored breathing and atelectasis.
